<a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/6930052/">Should Hoboken bring back the St. Patrick's Day Parade?</a>

HOBOKEN – Councilman Tim Occhipinti is blaming Mayor Dawn Zimmer for the cancellation of the city's St. Patrick's Day Parade for two years running and is campaigning to bring back the event.

“The St. Patrick's parade is a piece of Hoboken's history that celebrates the contributions of Irish Americans to our great city and a day that was enjoyed by families and visitors alike,” Occhipinti said in a statement.

“This year, a parade would have been a golden opportunity to show the strength and resilience of our community, and that Hoboken is back, post-Sandy. It would have been a big help to local businesses and a boost to our city's morale.”

The event, traditionally held on the first Saturday in March, was cancelled last year after Zimmer told the Hoboken St. Patrick's Parade Committee to move the event to a Wednesday evening or St. Patrick's Day because the Saturday event had become as famous for its lewd behavior and raucous house parties as for its flowing green beer.

The parade committee has said that many of the participants in the parade, including band members, are working people and could not attend an event at night during the week.

"This year, we should be marching to show that we are Hoboken Strong," Occhipinti added. "We're losing a prime chance to show the state -- and the world -- that Sandy may have knocked our city down, but we're back on our feet, open for business, and ready to be better than ever."